


Makeup Machinations

by Azeran



Series: Camp Camp [9]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: David isn’t as clueless as Gwen thinks, F/M, Gen, Implied Feelings, Implied Gwenvid - Freeform, Neither is Nikki, Nikki ships Gwenvid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 18:43:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19382548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azeran/pseuds/Azeran
Summary: Nikki walks in on Gwen putting on makeup. Strangely, she seems interested in it. Also, she’s a little demon who sees too much and just wants her counselors to get together and be happy dammit!





	Makeup Machinations

“Hey Gwen! Whatcha doing?”

 

Nearly stabbing herself in the eye, that’s what. Squinting at the reflection in her mirror, Gwen lowered the liquid eyeliner she’d been trying to apply and met Nikki’s luminous turquoise gaze. “Uh...putting on makeup?” She brandished the makeup in question, and the pure excitement that crossed Nikki’s face nearly made her regret it. “Shouldn’t you be with David? He’s gonna have an aneurysm if he finds you missing,” Gwen warned. It didn’t seem to faze the ten year old, surprise surprise.

 

“David’s busy trying to find Max, so I gave him the slip. Why are you putting on makeup? Are you going somewhere?” Nikki gasped, bounding into the room like an excited squirrel. “Oooo! Is it a date?? Gwen, do you have a hot date tonight?”

 

For fuck’s sake. “You shouldn’t even know what that means,” Gwen groaned. Realizing her makeup routine was definitely on hold, she reluctantly scooted over on the tiny bench she’d salvaged from the long departed beautician camp, letting Nikki grab the spot beside her. “And no, I don’t have a ‘hot’ date.” She didn’t have a date at all. “David’s watching you little crotch goblins so I can have a night off.”

 

“You get nights off?” Nikki cocked her head to the side, ponytails bouncing around her face.

 

Gwen sighed. “Yes, Nikki, we get nights off. Our lives don’t solely revolve around the camp and you demonic brats.” She ruffled the pile of fluffy curls framing Nikki’s forehead. “I get tonight, David gets tomorrow. Next week we switch. It’s a back and forth kinda deal.”

 

“Ohhhh. That makes sense.” Making a face in the mirror, the girl frowned, then looked back up at Gwen as she attempted to finish off the wing of her liner. “But if you have different nights off, how do you go on dates?? I thought couples were supposed to go out all the time!”

 

“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Gwen muttered, peering at her reflection. Perfect. Her eyeliner wasn’t sharp enough to cut a bitch on, but it’d do. Especially with this particular distraction at hand—-wait a second. “Back up runt. What makes you think me and David are dating?” Gwen put the cap back on her liner, scrutinizing the teal headed girl, all while her heart did flips inside her chest. There was no way she could know. Gwen’s unrequited feelings for the goofy redhead were a well kept secret, thank you very much.

 

Nikki just shrugged, grabbing a makeup brush from the collection built up on Gwen’s desk. “I dunno. You guys act like a couple! And he looks at you like you’re dating. Y’know, all lovey dovey and stuff.”

 

“You’re full of shit. No he doesn’t.” Gwen snatched it back, smothering the swell of panic that rose up inside her. “We’re just friends Nikki. Seriously, that’s it.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Yup.”

 

”......Are you positive?”  

 

Gwen bit down a frustrated noise. “YES. No mysterious, clandestine romance is going on behind the scenes. I promise.”

 

Nikki pouted. “Really? That sucks. I think you’d make a cute couple.” Jumping topics like a true scatterbrained kid, she snatched a tin of blush out of Gwen’s makeup bag. “Hey, how does this work? Is it like war paint?”

 

Still fixated on the whole her-David-dating thing, Gwen had to play catch up, storing those thoughts away for later. Nikki could deal out some serious emotional whiplash. “Not exactly. Unless you’re going for a cheap hooker vibe.” Plucking the compact out of her hands, Gwen flicked the lid open with her thumb, revealing the dusky color inside. “It’s pretty easy. Keep it on the apples of your cheeks, and just kinda swipe it up your cheekbone. See?” She quickly demonstrated, making sure to keep it subtle. “Simple.”

 

Nikki pursed her lips, leaning in close. “Huh. I thought it’d be more...I dunno, obvious? My mom wears that stuff too, I think. But hers is a really bright pink!”

 

Uhuh. Cheap hooker sheek 101. Gwen wisely kept that to herself though. “Depends on your personal taste. I like to go a little more subtle. Just some blush,” she waggled the container. “Mascara, a bit of eyeshadow. Sometimes lipstick, if I’m doing something special.”

 

”Like going on a date?” 

 

”....Sometimes.” Jesus. Why was she so fixated on Gwen’s romantic life today? Was it a full moon?  

 

“That makes sense. It all depends on your mood, right?” Nikki scooted closer to her on the bench, until they were practically hip to hip. “Tell me more Gwen! What else do you like to do?” 

 

“I mean, that’s basically it. I might do a cat eye, but that’s about as crazy as I’ll get.” Gwen frowned. “Where’s this sudden enthusiasm for makeup coming from, huh? Didn’t they teach you any of this when you were with the Flower Scouts?”

 

“Eh, not really. They said I was a lost cause. It’s not my fault none of them wanted to do anything but gossip and talk about boys.”

 

The irony of that complaint wasn't lost on Gwen, considering Nikki’s earlier commentary on her and David’s ‘relationship.’

 

“Sounds awful. How did you even survive?” 

 

“I know!!” Nikki huffed, Gwen’s sarcasm going right over her head. “I wanted to go on adventures, brave the deep unknown! Explore where no kid has ever been before!”

 

“Well, you got your wish. I think you’re the only one besides David who knows this camp like the back of their hand.” Gwen smirked. Sometimes Nikki was ridiculously cute. “So if you didn’t care about makeup back then, why the change of heart? Because I hate to tell you kid, it’s nothing new or exciting. You can literally watch a dozen YouTube videos that all cover the same thing.”

 

“I know! Nerris said she watches a whole bunch before her dad takes her larping. Y’know, to get ideas for her makeup or whatever. I’ve seen the pictures. But I think she did way better than all those beauty gyros.”

 

”Gurus,” Gwen amended, mentally piecing Nikki’s haphazard rambling together into a cohesive story. Suddenly things made a lot more sense. “So Nerris likes makeup too, huh?”

 

”Yeah! Ooo, one time she wore this shimmery powder all over her face, and her eyes were all glittery! I think she said she was pretending to be a moon fairy. And her dad was a sun knight, so they could match.” A flicker of sadness passed over Nikki’s face, but was quickly banished by her bubbly enthusiasm. “He lets her wear all kinds of cool stuff Gwen!! But her makeup was way different than yours. She looked like a whole new person! You look like...you. Just extra special.”

 

Aww. “Thanks. That’s sweet of you Nikks.” Gwen hid a smile, flicking the tip of Nikki’s nose with her brush. Well, that all definitely explained her newfound interest. All kids her age had to hear was their friend was into something new, and boom! It spread like the plague. “You said Nerris was all shimmery, right? She was probably wearing highlighter. I think I’ve got some…” Gwen dug around in her bag, dropping some other items on the desk; cosmetic glitter that she never wore, a softer pink blush that was god awful on her and a tiny container of cream eyeshadow in a pretty spring green—ugh. Awful. Why the fuck did she even have any of this? God, she was such a hoarder. It was way past time for her semi annual makeup purge.

 

“Oooo!! That’s super pretty! Can I try that?” Nikki’s sticky fingers swiped the products up before she could even blink. Gwen grimaced, deliberating on whether or not to say no. Some of this stuff was ancient. For a kid though, it _could_ work...maybe?

 

Eh, fuck it. Stranger things had yet to take Nikki down. Gwen doubted she’d be bested by some potentially expired eyeshadow. “Sure. Fair warning though, I absolutely do NOT remember when I bought any of this shit. It could be years old by now.”

 

“That’s ok!” Pure delight sparkling in her eyes, Nikki held it up to the light. “I bet I could look like an awesome fairy warrior with this! Don’t you think so Gwen?”

 

This was the point where a weaker person might’ve started squealing with delight. Gwen wasn’t one of those crazy parents who snapped five hundred pictures of their hellspawn though, so she settled for a smirk, offering Nikki the highlighter palette she’d finally unearthed from her overstuffed makeup bag. “Use some of this too. I doubt it’s the same kind Nerris used, but it’s extra shimmery. You can be a badass fairy that glows greater than the gods.”

 

“COOL!” Nikki reached for the palette, then hesitated, nervously glancing between it and Gwen. “You sure it’s ok though? I mean, don’t you need it?”

 

“Nah, I’m good. I’ve got more.” A bottle of coveted liquid frost from the stash Gwen only pulled out for special occasions, but she wasn’t going to tell Nikki that. Not when the kid looked like Gwen had told her it was Halloween, Christmas, _and_ her birthday all at once. That kind of excitement was reserved for kids, and kids alone. Like hell was she going to put a damper on it.

 

Besides! Nikki was clearly using makeup as a way to branch out and try new things with her other friends. What kind of monster would Gwen be if she didn’t encourage her? And if she got to take the rebellious tomboy under her wing and teach her a few cool things, maybe stoke the fires of her patented Nikki style madness in a way that _wouldn’t_ blow up in Gwen’s face, well. That was just a bonus. Even better if it drove David insane, and kept his mind purely….elsewhere.

 

Speaking of David and potential feminine chaos, Gwen had a positively evil idea. “Hey Nikki. Did you know we used to have a camp dedicated entirely to makeup? It disbanded back before I started working here, but David told me ALL about it.” Gwen drummed her fingertips on the desk, pretending to dredge up juicer details. “I think he said we kept all of the old supplies...I doubt they were any good, with how cheap Campbell is, but there might be something worth salvaging. Makeup brushes, face paint. Some Elf palettes,” Gwen hummed, catching the absolute joy radiating off the smaller girl.

 

“Elf?” Nikki gasped with delight. “Like, magical creature elves? That’s so awesome!!!” She fisted a handful of Gwen’s tank top and gleefully bounced up and down on the bench. “Nerris and I can pretend to be saviors of the forest together! Ooo, and we could make costumes to match!! I bet she’d love that!”

 

“Oh, I know she would.” Gwen chuckled under her breath. This was so evil of her, and she loved it. David wouldn’t know what hit him. And what a perfect way to distract herself from some unwanted emotions! “Hey, I’ve got a great idea! You should absolutely ask Preston to lend a hand. That kid _adores_ anything dramatic and crazy. I bet he’d love to help you guys with the costumes and shit.” Gwen leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially into Nikki’s ear. “Besides. I’m pretty sure David said all the supplies were stashed under the theater stage. You three stand a better chance of rescuing them if you work together.”

 

Words couldn’t describe the happy energy rolling off of Nikki. She’d definitely made the kid’s day. “Gwen! You’re so smart!! Why didn’t I think of that?” She threw herself at the brunette, her small arms wrapping around Gwen like a cobra. “You’re the best counselor ever!! Thank you so, sooooo much!!”

 

Of course, that was the moment David chose to bust into the cabin, red hair flying every which way, his cheeks flushed with all natural color. Hunting down missing campers tended to get him flustered. Which also reminded Gwen that clever little Nikki had given him the slip to come find her. And here they were, posed like a shitty Hallmark moment. Perfect.

 

“Gwen!! I lost Nikki! I can’t find her—anywhere,” David stopped dead in his tracks, frantically looking between the two of them as he cycled through confusion, relief, then back to confusion again. “Ahh. What’s..?” He tried, and spectacularly failed at hiding a dopey smile that was honestly just as cute as Nikki’s toothy one. “I see I’ve interrupted something.”

 

“Oh, nothing important,” Gwen drawled. “Just showing Nikki a few things about makeup. Did you know she was interested in all that David? Because I sure didn’t.”

 

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool. But not as cool as you!”

 

In between Nikki’s enthusiasm and David’s budding excitement at seeing her interact with the campers in a non authoritative, completely harmless way, Gwen was pretty sure she was gonna get cavities. “You’re pretty ok too Nikks.” Swatting the girl off her seat, Gwen straddled the bench and smiled innocently at her fellow co-counselor. David was clearly perturbed by it, looking between them with growing suspicion. “Alright, fun’s over. Nikki, you should be getting back to your tent. I bet Max and Neil are wondering where you ran off to.” Gwen turned to the girl, allowing the smallest hint of diabolical intentions to show through. “You can tell them all about what we talked about.”

 

Nikki perked up, catching on immediately. “You mean…. _all_ of it?”

 

“Yup. All of it,” Gwen stressed, watching David clearly begin to sweat. Oh yeah. So worth it.

 

“Ok! I’ll tell them everything!! Thanks Gwen!” All but skipping her way out the door, Nikki stuck her head back in and bestowed her most angelic smile upon David. “By the way! You look really pretty tonight! Right David?”

 

“Huh?” Poor thing, he was completely lost. Gwen had to bite back her laughter, smothering it behind splayed fingers as she cupped her chin and shared a secret wink with Nikki. “I’m...sorry? I, I think I missed something,” David nervously replied, flinching under Nikki’s unblinking stare. She puffed up and yanked the redhead down by his shirt collar, growling right in his face.

 

“I said, Gwen looks really, REALLY PRETTY TONIGHT. Riiiiiiiiiight???”

 

Each word was stamped with a horrifyingly bone chilling finality. How could anyone argue with her? Lucky for him though, David finally appeared to catch on. Good thing too. Gwen was pretty sure Nikki might try to smack some sense in him otherwise. “Yes!! I mean, yes, um, of course she does! You’re absolutely right!!”

 

“Good. I’m glad you agree.” Reverting back to sweet mode, Nikki patted him on the head and let go. “Gwen deserves a lot of compliments! Compliments from guys!”

 

“I—agree?” David blinked, turning to her for help. Gwen shrugged, focused on fixing a few stray smudges of makeup around her waterline. Damn waterproof mascara. Meanwhile, Nikki was giving David the most obvious are-you-stupid scowl in existence. Even coming from a ten year old, it was legit terrifying.

 

“I said, she deserves COMPLIMENTS.” Her tiny hand curled into a fist, lips pursed like she’d swallowed a lemon. “Well??? Tell her how good she looks!”

 

The OR ELSE was very heavily implied.

 

“Sorry! I didn’t think it..needed saying?” David flinched, waiting for approval from the tiny monster at his feet. She crossed her arms and kept glaring at him, until he backpedaled and let out a weak laugh. “Never mind! Stupid me. What I meant to say is, you look great Gwen! Absolutely perfect.”

 

Nikki nodded her approval. “That’s better.”

 

His relief practically poignant, David ran his eyes over her once again. Free of their previous terror, something affectionate replaced it, swirling warmly in their green depths. “You really do look nice Gwen. Not that you need it. The makeup, that is. With or without it, you’re one of the prettiest people I know.”

 

Fuck. That took a turn. Faced with such genuinity, Gwen didn’t really know what else to do. So she opted to entirely ignore the casual flattery, and all its potential implications, muttering a thanks under her breath as she gauged whether or not she could throw one of her makeup brushes and successfully hit a small, Nikki shaped target. A target who was about as subtle as a flying pig, and was very clearly way too pleased with herself.

 

This sucked. She’d been so sure Nikki had forgotten forgotten their earlier chat, but any hopes of that being the case were out. C’mon. Eliciting shameless flattery from the one person Gwen oh so secretly craved it from? Nikki knew exactly what she was doing. Manipulative, evil child. Gwen regretted having any part in her future mischief.

 

Unfortunately for her throwing skills, Nikki was long gone, having vanished into the night after achieving the last laugh. Demon. She’d learned that from Max. Ah well, tough luck. There was always next time. Gwen put the brush down, catching David watching her in the mirror. The unbridled emotion still lurking in those forest green orbs unnerved her, and a wash of goosebumps prickled across her nape. “What? Got some more half assed compliments for me?”

 

“Not exactly.” David cocked his head to the side, puzzling over something. “I mean...I think I’m still just a bit confused about..whatever that was? Nikki was acting kind of strange.”

 

“Stranger than usual, you mean?” Gwen snorted. “Don’t overthink it David. She was fucking with you.” In a sneaky, overbearing sort of way, with obvious ulterior motives that Gwen prayed David wouldn’t pick up on. Can of worms, not opening. Nope. Not today Satan!

 

“Oh...yeah.” David slumped, dejected over something. What, she didn’t dare wonder. “That does make sense, doesn’t it?”

 

“Uhuh. Perfect sense.” Focus Gwen. Eager to get the fuck out of dodge, Gwen rushed to pack away her stuff, refusing to look at the mirror. “Look, I’m already running late. Can we decipher Nikki’s oddball brain later? I’d like to actually enjoy my night off.” And not spend it fawning over a certain unattainable someone. She could spend that valuable time plotting Nikki’s murder.

 

“Oh! S-sure!” Caught off guard by her hasty retreat, David backed away from the door. If he was hurt by her leaving, he did a good job of hiding it. “Sorry about that Gwen. By all means, don’t let me keep you.”

 

Goddammit. Why did he have to do that? Could she feel any more like an ass?

 

Gwen sighed, purse and jacket slung carelessly over a shoulder as she bolted for the door. “Look, don’t apologize. If it’s bothering you that much, we can talk about it tomorrow. Ok? I promise. Just—catch me before you take the night off.” Hopefully he’d be too distracted to even remember, if Nikki put her makeup scheme into action before then. Not the original purpose Gwen had intended for it, but beggars can't be choosers. As long as it spared her some humiliation and potential rejection, she’d roll with the punches.

 

“Ahh..well, that sounds fine, I guess. No harm in waiting another day!” David put on a big show of letting her pass, but Gwen felt his fingertips graze the underside of her right arm when she did, capturing her attention for a split second. They were calloused, and yet strangely soft, warm and inviting against her bare skin. “I meant it, by the way.” David let go, something meaningful in the way he pulled back and smiled at her. “What I said before. You really do look beautiful tonight Gwen.”

 

There went her sanity. Gwen choked, torn between a shriek and panicky laughter. This was all Nikki’s fault. Her self control was usually so good, but Gwen’s defenses were down, and David’s compliments sounded waaaay too personal for her current comfort levels.

 

“.....Thanks David.”

 

Dignity hanging by the threads, Gwen forced herself to flee the cabin with her head held high. And she didn’t look back. Nope. Not a chance in hell. She wouldn't let David see the cracks in her resolve, or the lovesick, painful yearning Gwen just couldn’t find the strength within herself to hide, all because some unholy child with teal pigtails had made her wonder, maybe hope...hope for something more.

 

Ugh. Seriously. This was all Nikki’s fault.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I originally intended for the Gwenvid aspects of this to be a joke, more played off in a funny sort of way. Obviously I failed. It’s just too good of a ship to joke around with! The Gwenvid gods have cursed me to only write sad, fluffy, cavity inducing bullshit, and I both love and despise them for it.


End file.
